Union City Tornado – How to Help, Where to Go for Help

Fortunately, there were no serious injuries in the tornado which struck parts of Union City on Tuesday evening. Everyone was also safe in Cambridge Springs following a violent downburst on Wednesday afternoon. Both communities received some major damage from falling trees and flooding.

It was amazing to view the damage in Union City on South Main Street and on many of the side streets. Numerous trees were down all over the place, many hitting homes. Naturally, many people were without electric power, including the Union City School District Campus.

Two days after the EF 1 tornado struck, utility crews were still busy throughout the community and the most common sound was chain saws.

IMPORTANT The Union City Family Support Center has set up a help hotline. If you need help or would like to volunteer in the clean-up CALL – 814. 314. 9337, leave a message, your name and a contact number. Someone from the center will be quickly in touch with you. The Union City Fire Hall is also serving as a help station.

“Many people lost all of their food because of the downed electric lines, Dave Robinson of the Family Center, said. “The temperatures have been very hot ever since the storm and both volunteers and residents need something to drink. There are many trees down in town and sidewalks and roofs need to be repaired. I know this weekend a lot of volunteers from across the region are planning to help with the clean-up. The response has been fantastic so far. Both the Red Cross and the Salvation Army are here and doing a fantastic job in helping.”

Tornadoes are not very common in the region and, according what what Robinson has heard, the last tornado to hit Union City was in 1985.

Just outside of downtown Union City, the Erie-Crawford Co-op on Rt. 97 took a nasty hit. The greenhouse was literally blown away. Much of the structure blew across the highway and into a woods. Other buildings and were damaged and there were numerous trees down blocking the train tracks behind the farming complex.

“We don’t really know where all of our plants went,” Ginny Shreve, a manager at the co-op said. “They are just gone. We had a few doors blown off and some broken windows. But luckily no inuries.”

According to Shreve many local farmers had damaged fields and will need to re-plant crops.

“The creeks came up so fast and wiped out many fields which will need to be re-seeded,” she said. “A lot of the farmers are fixing fences damaged by falling trees and high waters.”

More violent weather is expected Saturday afternoon and into Sunday as a cold front pushed into the area. Be sure to stay tuned to weather forecasts. After the front passes, cooler area will dominate the region.

Updates will be posted throughout the weekend, stay in touch.

On the Wild Side

A bee swarm is actually very gentle. They are not overly aggressive. If you see one, call a local bee keeper who will capture the bees.

Spring gobbler season ends today, May 31.

There’s a somewhat troubling note from Kirk Johnson and Charles Vorisek, both regional beekeepers. There seems to be hardly any bee swarms, a natural process where the hive colonies divide. Johnson has not had any calls about swarms, while Vorisek has had only a few.

There are many possible reasons for the lack of swarming this spring, but according to Johnson: “This doesn’t look good at all.”

More information and details on the lack of swarms next week.

Beekeepers

Kirk Johnson, the president of the Northwestern Beekeepers Association announced the next meeting of the organization will be on June 15 at 1 p.m. at Troy Bogdan’s farm at 19000 New Richmond Road.

Crawford County Conservation District – Woodcock Creek Nature Center

June events:
• “Terrariums…”How to,” Tuesday, June 4, from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Terrariums can be beautiful…have you ever wanted to put one together for your house? Terry Lobdell will be showing us how. He will also be bringing a beautiful terrarium for the Nature Center! Come and see it!

• “Family Fishing,” Wednesday, June 19, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Join the Crawford Conservation District and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission for a late afternoon of instruction, casting and fishing! This program is open to all ages and will be held rain or shine, so come dressed for the weather. All supplies will be provided! You do not need a fishing license for this PA Fish and Boat Commission sponsored educational event. NOTE: SPECIAL REGISTRATION — Please register with the PA Fish and Boat Commission by calling Chad Foster at 814-683-5126 or register online at: http://pfbc.state.pa.us. Do not call the Nature Center for this registration!

• “Bat Wayside Kickoff—Bat Count Event,” Wednesday, June 26, 8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. The Woodcock Creek Nature Center has installed a NEW Bat Wayside on the grounds! Come and join us for a preview and for a wonderful bat program by Terry Lobdell. Be prepared to count bats with us at dusk to see how many live in the Nature Center bat boxes. What a fun family adventure!

• “Down and Dirty” Summer Nature Camp”, June 26, 27, 28 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Searching for some summer fun for your 5 – 8 year olds? The camp is offered by the Crawford Conservation District and hosted by the Army Corps of Engineers. Children will learn basic garden skills through hands-on activities and discover Woodcock as they enjoy hikes, games, stories and crafts at several locations, including both The Woodcock Creek Nature Center and the Bossard Nature Center. T-shirt, water bottle, snack and beverage will be provided. This camp requires a $25 registration fee, due at registration. There is a limit of 25 attendees. Please call 814-763-5269 to obtain a registration form or for more information.

ALL Woodcock Creek Nature Center events require pre-registration. The programs are free and open to the public, unless otherwise specified. Call Kathy Uglow at 814-763-5269 to register or for more information. Event information is also available at http://www.crawfordconservation.com. All children under 12 should be accompanied by an adult. Please let us know if you require special accommodations.

June 9 – Join the Swarm – Honeybee Bee-havior with apiarist Kirk Johnson
Learn about honeybee’s tendency to swarm in June. This is the natural way honeybees have evolved to split their hives to double the chance of hive survival . Kirk will present recent research on swarming and how the honeybees select a new home. He will also talk about beekeeper attempts to stop swarming or catch the swarm. Bee there or bee square! Kirk Johnson, an apiarist, owns Li’l Bit-O-Honey in Edinboro.

Dreese Farm – Poultry Workshop

A June 18 poultry workshop will be held at the Dreese Farm. The workshop will explore methods for raising chickens and how to properly dress them for later use. For more information, Chickens.

Segertown Wins Envirothon

Saegertown won the joint Crawford – Mercer County event. More details, Envirothon.